Modern day football, what’s in it for the fans? by Goonerboy
Morning crazy gooners far and wide, what a week this has been, City humbled, United late drama, Chelsea humiliated, and Spurs stealing a win, reminds us why we love the premier league. Speaking of Spurs, the comments from their manager claiming that ego is the only gain for winning trophies makes me cringe. I know this is actually coming late, but the moment I saw that comment I felt something in me which prompted me to write this but I couldn’t afford the time, until now of course.
If we are to talk about that comment alone, it is deeper that it sounds, but it proves the game is ever evolving and the fans who are the life blood of any football team are not really appreciated. Football appears to be a consistently evolving economical force. With a seemingly endless supply of commercial opportunities. We’ve seen more money pumped into the sport so those wealthy enough can get even more money out of it. I have seen massive changes in the structure of competitions, the running of football clubs, the mentality of players and most recently, where a club might call ‘home’. Although there may be several contributing factors to these changes, there is most certainly one thing that rules all. Money.
When analysing the impact money has had on the sport of football, I began to wonder if there was one thing money might not change. One thing that the greed of others and potential financial rewards couldn’t alter. Aside from the cynics amongst us, I believe there is one thing that hasn’t changed (or at least hasn’t changed so drastically) in the game of football. What it means to be a fan. Not what it’s like to be a fan, we know match day tickets can cost a small fortune nowadays (not to mention the obligatory pie and cuppa that goes with it) and you practically have to take out a loan to buy the latest version of your team’s kit. That is the experience of being a fan, I’m referring to the emotion of being a fan. Our passion for a certain team, our adulation of our favourite players, the ecstasy we can’t contain after beating our local ‘enemies’ or the frustration we take out on others after losing three valuable points. We may not look like your perception of it, we may not act like your perception of it (for the most part anyway) but us true football fans are almost like a modern day tribe.
We have our ceremony of watching the game, our match day rituals and superstitions, the team we worship and the players we see as heroic figures. There’s our badge or crest that symbolises who we are, our tribal colours and garments that represent to whom we belong, as well as our chants and songs that are used to express our devotion. Many fans even go as far as having their team permanently etched onto their skin as a means of expressing such a deep connection to them. Although a group of strangers, we are brought together by our loyalty and shared beliefs, a common desire amongst us all, the desire to achieve dominance over other clubs. Our sense of belonging to this tribe and similar values as individuals can be determined by all kinds of reasons, be it territorial, hereditary or, as is becoming increasingly common in later generations of fans, choice.
But at the end of all these, what do the fans gain or what would they consider as a reward for their loyalty?
I like to think it is trophies, the glory and and the pride that comes with it. To save your time, I would like to narrow this down to the premier league. Klopp has come out, in a way, to support the notion of Pochettino that the cups are not as important as the being in the top 4, a notion Arsenal and Wenger were ridiculed for has now become the norm Why? Because of the money…
Candidly, fans want to see their teams compete in the elite competition but you get the feeling that fans and the clubs have different reasons for that, as only a few clubs want to genuinely try to win it. The plan is to make up the numbers and make money out of it, yet another reason Wenger was doing well as far as the Arsenal board were concerned.
Pochettino again said, “Top 4 keeps me in the job not cups”. Was this not the same reason Wenger could do no wrong in the eyes of the board UNTIL he failed to qualify for the competition twice on the the spin?
You can talk about the biased media and hatred towards Wenger and Arsenal because we always did things the right way, but that is not the point of this article. To club owners, the FA and governing bodies and the players, it is all about the money, while fans get very little in return. That’s why at this age in my life, I don’t get overly bitter about the game anymore We win I am happy, we lose am sad, that’s it!
This also shows that not only Arsenal loves the top 4 after all, we have one or two teams aiming to win the title, others are targeting top 4, and some are just desperate to stay in the league and that’s it year in year out, and while those involved make their millions, what’s in it for the fans?
Am sorry i have to bore you this far but am gonna leave you with this quote and make of it what you wish..
“ If you want to win championships, then you would never get involved”
We all despise the source of this quote but in modern day football, it is the reality.
Peace
Goonerboy.
To buy Denis in the summer we need to qualify for Champions League
After Ferguson and Wenger era, Premier League has become highly competitive and this is what makes it interesting
I hope Arsenal would give Emery at least two seasons to improve Arsenal and to make them a bigger brand
Oh why did we not get defenders in January especially when Chelsea are poor lately and spurs are without kane for awhile , we will miss out on top 4 again does or owner ever hear the saying throwing out a fish to catch a salmon….
Emery has explained that we would have a problem if all defenders (including the young ones) are fit in the future
Wait until they release some defenders first, before buying the new ones
I keep asking the question, which no one appears to have an answer; can anybody name one defender available in the January transfer window for transfer, let alone loan, who would improve Arsenal?
Therefore it is difficult to disagree with Emery’s assessment as stated by gotanidea.
See the problem with Emery’s assessment @Ozziegunner is that we have heard this similar tune before. At the start of the transfer window it’s normally “inorder to buy we must first sell someone to create space” then at the end of the transfer window it’s “inorder to sell we must first buy someone inorder to not leave ourselves short”. It’s a perfectly evolving excuse that always makes sure we never buy anyone. I think we could, with the right offer, have captured a good CB if we reaaally wanted. Can’t be certain of course but it always feels like the club has to be forced into doing business rather than being proactive about it.
Remember turning down Cesc because Ramsey and Jack was fit
Unfortunately I do! Oh well, it is what it is.
No, but I remember Wenger saying we didn’t sign him because we’d just signed Ozil.
I never disagreed with Wenger or anyone that ranked 4th place as more important than minor trophies like the FA Cup or League cup. The only reason I rate the Europa league is because winning it means CL football which means money and the ability to attract better players.
In the past supporters mostly grew up in the areas of the team you supported, thus you wanted to see your local team successful and win trophies.
This idea of gaining a Champions League place is only a priority for the richest clubs I believe, for the rest of the league(s) teams and supporters, !winning a cup for many of them makes history!
I like the extra z, ozzzie……
I guess you also need that “z” Pat, as it means sleep! And I can only imagine what a dirty little all night stay out you are over there in “live it up land”!
We’ve certainly had an eye-opening night in Puerto Princesa!
I’m ready to relax here for a while,,,,,
Yes I am all for relaxing Pat. Depends though what “relaxing” means. Good company, maybe some live music and a glass in your hand is VERY RELAXING. Oh , I suppose boring old sleep is technically relaxing too. I know which I prefer. Trouble is though, at my advanced age, my body disagrees with me and tells me what to do.
We have had a relaxing meal out and ventured into the heart of the city. Now we are relaxing with a drink in our hands in our lovely (but incredibly cheap!) hotel room.
Life is what you make it, and I want it to be relaxed. Don’t we all?
I’d love to know the price of that hotel room or British equivalent.
Well, I think a look at the league table tells a different story. At the moment Liverpool are leading and favorites to win the league.
They have never won the PL, and they spent years struggling to make top 4 but over the last 5-6 years, they have steadily progressed. Not thanks to a “sugardaddy” like Chelsea and City but with a combination of shrewd business, good management and probably a good deal of determination.
I am no fan of Liverpool, but they do show, there is a way to get to the top that is not all about money.
Though no Liverpool fan either, I have to admit that I deeply admire the way this club is run, managed(esp managed by the superbly charismatic Klopp) and tbh,I am jealous as hell!
BT for all those yrs Liverpool too used money to make to that point.
OT Jimmy Bullard on Soccer AM is brilliant… love that guy, he’s hilarious!!
Was hoping Almiron would play against the spuds.. no such luck…..
Oh Goonerboy, what a wonderful , insightful and superb article; among the very best I have ever read on here. You perfectly sum up the addictive, wonderful masochism we all enjoy/ need/ suffer. Little I can sensibly add to your comments but please be assured that I will be watching hopefully from now on for MORE articles from you. Deeply impressed!!!
Finally though, I do feel a little comforted and also a little smug that all us devoted fans have this masochistic joy, whereas our mean spirited and mean pocketed owner can only enjoy dollars. No wonder many of us call him Scrooge, as he(Scrooge) was not just mean pocketed but something far, far worse, MEAN SPIRITED and has never known, nor ever will, the joys of true fanhood. Soaring spirits make real people alive; soaring bank accounts only make people more worried and enclosed; ie less human.
I remember in the recent past many of our disgruntled fans nicknamed fourth position the “Wenger trophy with a lot of bitterness. They couldn’t imagine that in the not too distant future they would be yearning for it as would the other top teams in EPL. Anyone who claims that trophies don’t matter is either a hypocrite, a fool or both. Trophies indeed matter so much that any team which wins a trophy usually celebrates with its fans. Hence it is not realistic for Maurichio Pochetino to pretend that trophies don’t matter! Is it a question of sour grapes? His attitude of despising all trophies save for EPL and CL is an act of gross indiscipline, which undermines the spirit of football in England especially when he has never won any trophy as a manager!
To be fair to Poch, David, though I realise it is not a popular thing to attempt on here(even with myself), I do think something was lost in the understanding of the question and he has issued a clarification ,which I as a truth lover, am inclined to believe.